As we all know, Barack Obama was the 44^th President of the United States.

Being only 19 years old, he was the leader that I grew up seeing on my television; he was the leader that I saw uniting his people; he was the leader that I saw putting himself on the line for the American people. President Barack Obama is the president who taught me the importance of working not for myself, but for others, especially those who needed assistance.

To honor his legacy and all that he has done for the American people, I present to you 5 powerful quotes from President Obama that gave me hope for the future.

1. “There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America, there’s the United States of America.”

2. “We should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.”

3. “The strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression; it is more speech.”

4. “The long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion, a constant widening of our founding creed to embrace all and not just some.”

5. “My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too.”

Each unique quote listed above captures President Obama’s ‘Yes We Can” message.

It fosters the belief that if we work for ourselves, our peers, and our neighbors, then we indeed can see America reach its full potential of being inclusive and accessible to opportunities for all, regardless of their story, walk of life, background, race, sexual orientation, etc. President Obama, throughout his eight years of service gave me reassurance of the past, helped me to fight for the present, and gave me hope for the future.